The world through the eyes of a Balloon Artist and Entertainer...
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Friday, August 8, 2008

Diamond Jam 2008.5 in Las Vegas

I have not been posting recently because I have been preparing my materials for my classes at DiamondJam this year.

The classes I will be teaching are as follows:Balloon Busking 101This class will cover the basics of balloon busking for line work, restaurants, and street shows. The differences will be discussed and different methods of increasing income will be discussed as well. This class should have something useful for everyone. It will include points on developing a line, crowd control, keeping a line, entertaining everyone, and passing the hat.

Balloon Busking 102This class discusses the application of the knowledge gained in Balloon Busking 101. The focus will be more on paid gigs, such as restaurants and events and will show the benefit of a balloon busking approach. This class will teach how to twist fewer balloons and make more money. This is a crash course in balloon entertainment.

Retaurant Entertainment: Beyond BalloonsThis class will cover a multitude of scenarios that may occur in a restaurant while twisting. It will specifically focus on ways to keep a restaurant and how to increase your value over a period of time. Additionally, it will include a set of lecture notes and free consulting for 6 months. If there is additional time, we will also be covering different ideas for "Balloon Flair" that can be done either in a restaurant or at an event, which, will entertain and amuse the guests.

And in the spirit of sharing, here is an excerpt from one of my classes:

Crowd Control: (lines/general)The first thing you must understand before you work on crowd control is that you are in control. As the performer, it is your job to take over the audience and the crowds, making it clear to them you are in control of the situation. There are bunches of ways to do this, but I will share with you what I’ve found to be the easiest methods for keeping a group following your lead.

1. Let your audience know what to expect ahead of time. Don’t give them any surprises and let them know how they should react to what you’re going to do.

2. Give verbal and non-verbal cues. Be loud or quiet, stand the way you want them to stand, or even show them how you don’t want them to act.

3. Catch small problems early so that you don’t have to ever worry about the bigger issues.

4. If someone begins to disrupt, begin twisting near them so that everyone looks their way. You won’t have to say anything to them most of the time. Just the added attention their direction is usually enough to deter them from misbehaving.

5. Keep it fresh! If you are constantly adding new things or changing it up, you can keep your line entertained and focused on you. This also helps you stay in control because no on in line ever really knows where you are or where you are going.

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I then go on to speak about specific issues one may encounter while entertaining a crowd and suggest ways one may wish to handle the situation.